Specifications:Whether it’s bluebird or dumping, our photographers need to be armed and ready for whatever goes down. They know what it takes to get the shot, and that the durable, padded protection for their equipment is vital. That’s why their bag of choice is the Zoom™ every single time. Fully customizable inner compartments provide safe haven for all your gear, and the external attachment points keep a tripod within easy reach. Vertical board carry straps leave your hands free, and the cush ergonomic shoulder harness makes the heaviest loads easy to haul — cuz cameras and film ain’t light.
Volume: 36L/2,200 cu. in.

More of a real hiking backcountry pack, nice waist belt support system. Holds gear securely behind back in a discreet access area. Not obviously a camera bag. Plenty of little spaces for various things.

Cons:

After about 4 hrs hiking full of gear it starts to dig into the shoulders.

I have the smaller version without the pouch for the laptop but am otherwise very happy with this bag. I usually go to it when one of my mountainsmith shoulder bags isnt enough. Room for my gripped 5D, 4-5 lenses, filters etc. and waterbottle, jacket, snacks, tripod on back or slinged into the waist belt. I again like it that its not obviously a camera bag.

Jul 11, 2010

anitroneOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 23, 2004Location: United StatesPosts: 84

Review Date: Apr 12, 2009

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $49.99

Pros:

It is durable, fits nicely on my back, especially since I have a C6/7 herniated disc. Comfortable and inconspicuous as a camera bag.

Cons:

None so far

It fits my D80 and D90 with battery grips, my SB900, SB800, 9 lenses plus batteries, cables, filters. The side pocket holds a fold up Bogen stand and the other side pocket, an umbrella.

I can carry an extra shirt and hiking pants in their as well and my laptop. This is the best bag I've found for carrying all my gear around.

Since I have herniated discs in my neck the sling bags just dont work, to uncomfrtable. My old lowepro trekker could not carry half of what this can and I found it on sale for just $49.99 at Burton.

Thanks to the previous posters for the recommendation, my purchase was based on your reviews.

Apr 12, 2009

jamesgottOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Feb 7, 2008Location: United StatesPosts: 24

Review Date: Aug 11, 2008

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Lots of storage for cameras, lenses, batteries, little trinkets

Cons:

Not a lot of storage for ordinary items such as books and other things that I would like to cram in there for class. Also, it says that there is ample room for a 15" laptop, which may or may not be true, but since I don't have a laptop, I wouldn't know- but I don't think I would put a laptop in there because of lack of padding to support it.

I got this back straight from Burton.com store. I noticed that the price on it had been knocked down considerably and I figured it was the right time to buy it. I got stuck with the camouflage version of the bag, which is not as bad as I thought it would be. My friend who recommended this bag to me bought the black one, and after comparing the two we noticed some small differences like interior camera pouch things.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend. It doesn't look like a camera bag so I feel safe in sketchy areas with it on. It looks like a normal backpack. The best part is that the cameras are accessed from the back, where your back meets the pack.

Aug 11, 2008

DEMO2006OfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 20, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 332

Review Date: May 6, 2008

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $129.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Doesn't look like a camera bag, has a laptop pocket, enough space for 4 lens and 2 bodys (lenses attached to body) tons of storage space, and quality marterials.

Cons:

NONE.

08' Burton 28L Zoom Pack

I've owned this bag for about 4 months and I can honestly say it's a keeper. I'm able to fit 2 bodies attached to lenses and fit 2 additional lenses, I keep the 3 - flashes and 3 - pocket wizards in the laptop compartment, and I store all the other random crap in the 4 other pockets.

I was looking for a durable bag that would carry most of what I wanted to carry. I ordered this bag due to the favorable reviews. When I received it, it would not fit my 6'4" frame. I liked the interior of the bag and the outside of the bag appeared to be well made. But I sent the bag back, as I could not fit all my equipment in it and it is made for shorter people than me.

I did some research and settled on a Dakine Poacher (not the Dakine Sequence as it was similar in size to the Burton Zoom). I also puchased the Dakine Camera Block. The Camera Block just fits inside the Poacher. But I have room on the top of the Camera Block for more equipment if needed and under the Camera Block for a light jacket. The Dakine Poacher fits fine. It only has one outside pocket which is fine for me - less searching for pieces of gear and rechecking to make sure the pocket is closed. Tripod fits fine on the pack.

Dec 17, 2007

Hash_manOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Sep 17, 2007Location: CanadaPosts: 8

Review Date: Oct 19, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Very comfortable, Plenty of room for equipment, does not look like a camera bag, weather sealing.

Cons:

Price, Laptop pocket too small.

Very very nice bag. Picked one up a few weeks ago as I did not like the fact that my Lowepro Orion Trekker did not have a place to attach my tripod, and would not carry enough camera equipment.

I also wanted something I could possibly take snowboarding with me this winter.

I am currently carrying my Rebel XTi w/battery grip, kit lens, ef 50 1.8II and EFS 10-22 in the bag. It has lots of room for all of this along with lens hoods, extra batteries, and tripod is easily secured on the bag.

I have yet to take it snowboarding yet, so I cannot comment on the water resistance of the bag, but construction seems quite good. I am 5'10 and like 200lbs and the bag is very comfortable. Even with all my camera stuff, and my laptop it barely feels like I am wearing a bag.

My main complaints are the fact that my 15.4" Toshiba Tecra laptop barely works... it fits in the pocket, but the zipper will not close around one of the corners. Also, it was kind of expensive, however not so much so in relation to other bags which are similar. I paid $160 Canadian as I didn't feel like ordering online.

Oct 19, 2007

BearLeeAliveOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jun 13, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 10

Review Date: Mar 28, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great fit, well built, works great to carry gear while skiing/boarding

Cons:

Top storage too small, a few to many bits hanging off it

I too looked closely at this pack and the DaKine Sequence. Both were well built with the DaKine taking an edge there. They both held about as much photo gear as I want to carry skiing. The main reason I got the Burton was that it just felt better on, it seems to hug my 210 lb frame better. I would suggest you try both out for yourself if you can as the DaKine is no slouch of a pack at all.

The rear outside pocket will carry a shovel and poles, or you can stuff a jacket in there.

The side mesh pocket is no good for a water bottle, it would fall out easy. The zippered pocket on the other side is quite handy.

One other beef is I find the sternum strap way too high up and it can't be moved lower.

I have rolled over hard on this pack a few times as I do not take it easy at all with it on and have had no damage at all to the camera gear. I would not use a Rebel (or Nikon's equivalent) plastic body in it though.

This is a quality, well built pack that works great for its intended purpose.

Mar 28, 2007

stormrider_spOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Jul 12, 2006Location: BrazilPosts: 23

Review Date: Feb 28, 2007

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $131.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Tight, comfortable, low-profile camera bag

Cons:

The zipper broke during its first day of use

Was the last one availible on the store I bought in South Lake Tahoe. It fits my 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, my 30d and a fisheye, including avalanche gear. I'm not sure about its protection against falls, cause I ride safe while carrying my camera, but looks like good enough.

During its first day, one of the 2 zippers broke, so now, I can only open the bag to one side, and hope the other one doesn't broke. I can't send it to Burton right now cause I during the season I need a bag to carry my gear....

By the time I fit all the gear I needed for the day of shooting, I had no more room for my probe/first aid kit. For this reason, I have chosen the Dakine Sequence over this Burton Zoom bag.

Jan 7, 2007

Maksim NoyOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Sep 17, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 65

Review Date: Oct 25, 2006

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $105.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Slimmer than any other camera backpack, nice padding, nice quality, comfortable, fits a lot of gear for the bag size, fits avalanche gear well

Cons:

Fits the 1DMkII height-wise, but you have to flip it and it's close. Lots of film loops -- who uses those anymore?

There are only two choices for photo ski/snowboard pack that I could find -- the Dakine Sequence and Burton Zoom. Both are made in limited quantities and sell out quickly. I got both of them to try out and, while I have two other Dakine packs that I love, I am keeping the Zoom.

The main reason I picked the Zoom is that it's smaller and slimmer on my back. I also thought that the camera compartment is a little nicer inside. And it was easier to fit my avalanche gear into the Burton Zoom than the Dakine Sequence. And all the straps tuck away unlike the Sequence that has a bunch of long straps hanging off with no way to control them.

I can fit a 1DMkII with a 70-200 and a hood, a 20D with a 17-40 and a hood, a 580EX flash, and a small Canon video camera into the camera compartment. That still leaves the top pocket and side pocket available. In addition to other, more specialized pockets on the bag.

It is bordering on being a little small for a 1D MK II body, but you can make it fit by flipping the 1D viewfinder down.

Access to the main camera compartment is nice -- just throw the bag down and unzip. The shoulder straps and the belt are away from the zipper so you don't have to worry about them getting caught.

The suspension system is good -- belt comes up high on the bag and the weight is distributed nicely along the hips.

The bottom of the bag is made from a rubber-type tough material so there isn't any problem with setting the bag down on a wet surface.

The outside of the bag includes a loop and strap for ski cross-carry so it's not a snowboard-only bag.

There are a couple strange things -- lots of elastic loops for film canisters and the pocket with a big window on the hip belt. I would have much preferred to see some CF or SD memory holders and no window on the pocket, but those are nitpicks.

Overall, this is the best choice for a ski/snowboard pack. I am hoping to put a good number of days on it this year.

To be fair, it's pretty close between the Sequence and the Zoom. They are very similar. And Sequence is a nice pack with a good suspension system as well. And the camera compartment in it is removable -- it turns into a shoulder bag when taken out. But, for me, the Zoom works a little better.

Oct 25, 2006

wakeboardertjOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Mar 16, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 111

Review Date: Oct 8, 2006

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $120.00
| Rating: 9

Pros:

Great bag for snowboarding, I'm confident in the protection it offers against falls. I love that its waterproof.

Cons:

Its a bit small, i can fit my rebel xt with my 70-300IS lense attached to it, a 100mm macro, and a 17-40 L lense, and a Elan II film camera. Not too bad, it gets heavy past that point anyway.
the zipper alignment broke on my first outing with it :( i have to get a replacement through burton.

a great bag for any extreme sports enthusiast. Perfect bag for all my gear. Hopefully my replacement is better than the first.

Oct 8, 2006

Mikey720OfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Nov 21, 2005Location: CanadaPosts: 27

Review Date: Aug 20, 2006

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 7

Pros:

Nice padded straps, pretty inconspicuous camera bag with a great compartment opening design and lots of smaller pockets and straps.

Cons:

Would like to have a little more main compartment room, and to fit properly, sits very high up on the back (I'm 6'0" and the waist straps wrap around at bellybutton level!

A great bag for smaller torso'd people I think, though you can't beat it when you want to take some serious gear out onto the mountain...

Aug 20, 2006

ajsmlOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: May 7, 2006Location: United StatesPosts: 249

Review Date: May 22, 2006

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $129.00
| Rating: 8

Pros:

Great on snowy days while shooting on the mountain.

Cons:

Too small.

Awesome bag, but a little too small for my liking.

May 22, 2006

MakanaOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Aug 15, 2005Location: United StatesPosts: 10

Review Date: May 3, 2006

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 10

Pros:

-comfortable
-well balanced for board-riding and other chaotic activities
-inconspicuous on the streets

Cons:

-Impossible to find for sale
-I wish it had a laptop compartment
-I with it had a little more room for other stuff

I got this bag as a Christmas present and it's been great. Its slim enough to stay out of the way snowboarding and padded enough that most falls won't mean death to your lense collection. The should straps are also well padded so you could carry this bag all day without any discomfort. So for its intended purpose it works well but I doubt you could fit all the gear you needed for a backcountry ski trip in along with your camera gear. There are plenty of small pockets for random things though so many be you could make it happen if you got creative.

In day to day use its great. People don't expect you to have a camera in it which in my opinion is even better security than the back only access. People ask me if I modified the bag myself. The down side to that has been that on occasion when I've foolishly left the bag laying around people have tossed it aside like a book bag which is always a scary thing to see out of the corner of your eye.

Overall, I've been very happy with this bag.

May 3, 2006

kdubOfflineImage Upload: Off

Registered: Oct 17, 2004Location: CanadaPosts: 290

Review Date: Oct 7, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: Not Indicated
| Rating: 9

Pros:

I really love the open from the back design. It adds that sense of security when walking around in public with the gear. The bag is fairly light and not too bulky. Also the bag is pretty subtle and does not scream out "I AM A CAMERA BAG!!" come steal me.

Cons:

The quality of the bag isn't top notch like Lowepros. The stitching isn't every strong. One of my padding has the thread coming loose. The Burton logo embroidery has some loose threading which will eventually come undone. The zipper for the back lacks the zipper-pulling-tabs to help zipping up the bag easier; so I had to always pinch the bottom of my bag to zip up which will eventually stretch the material.

I like the fact this is a Burton bag because when I take the bag out it won't be obvious that I have a few grands of camear gear on me.

The quality of the bag doesn't look like it will be able to take years of abuse like Lowepro bags could.

Oct 7, 2005

trijiconOffline[ X ]

Registered: Jun 3, 2004Location: United StatesPosts: 1145

Review Date: Apr 8, 2005

Recommend? yes |
Price paid: $80.00
| Rating: 10

Pros:

Durable, water-resistant, "slim" design which is perfect of skiing and hiking, looks cool, Burton, plenty of room for daily gear

Cons:

none

This is my favorite backpack by far. I use to have a Lowepro mini trekker then the computer trekker, then the Tamrac Expedition 7, and now this Burton. I love it because the loading is from the rear. This means access is only allowed when I need the camera and not to pick pocketers in bad neighborhoods. I also love the slim design. It fits my body better when skiing cuz the bag does not get in the way. There is more than enough space for my 20D, 24-70, 16-35, 70-200IS and 580 flash. I also pockets for all the little things like batteries, card reader, sync-cords, memory, and other stuff. I do not use this bag as storage for all my photo gear, i have a Pelican 1510 for that. I use this bag for events and daily trips. Perfect bag to haul around your gear.